Refrigerant evaporator



Nov. 19, 1946. c JOHNSON 2A1 1,376

5a Janso Nov; 19, 1946. B, c, JQHNSQIIN 2,411,376

REFRIGERANT EVAPORATOR Filed-larch 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet" 2 Bernard 6 Johnson Patented Nov. 19, 1946 units can be connected for refri T OFFICE REFRIGERANT EVAPORATOR J Bernard 0. Johnson, Mundelein, 111., assignor to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich,

a corporation of Mic Application March 16, 1944, Serial 526,665

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a refrigerant evaporator, and more particularly to an L-shaped evaporator for assembly in a refrigerator box or the like. The invention also relates to a combination with a refrigerator box,'or the like, of one or morev L-shaped evaporators for defining with the walls of said refrigerator box quick-freeze compartments, frozen food compartments and the-like.

In accordance with the principles of my invention, I provide a standardized evaporator unit that is L-shaped in end view. Such an evaporator unit can be readily formed from metal sheets stamped to provide refrigerant flow passages, headers or the like. After assembly, the resulting fiat unit is bent into L-shape with flanges turned up on the ends of the legs of the L for attachment to the walls of a compartment to be refrigerated, such as a refrigerator box. A single such unit can be mounted in a refrigerator box in such a way as to define a quick-freeze .compartment for receiving ice trays. Alternatively, a pair of such L-shaped'units may be attached to the top and sidewalls of the refrigerator box in a back-to-back relation, but with a space th'erebetween that can be utilized for the storage of tall being used for ice freezing and the other for frozen foods. In still a further modification, the space formedbetween the two units may be used as a frozen food compartment by placing refrigbottles of milk and other liquids; one of the units tional view of a refrigerator box illustrating a pair of such evaporator units positioned therein;

Figure3 is a similar, fragmentary, vertical sectional view of a refrigerator box illustrating apair of such L-shaped evaporator units, together with several plate-like evaporator units, so positioned as to provide a pair of quick-freeze chambers and an intermediate frozen food chamber;

Figure 4 is an elevational side view of an evaporator unit of .my invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged, end elevational view of the unit illustrated injigure 4; and I Figure 6 is a top plan view on a reduced scale of the evaporator unit in its flat, sheet-like form, priorto being bent into L-shape and prior to the flanges being formed on the end edges thereof.

I The reference numeral I 0 indicates generally a refrigerator box or housing. While theinvention will be explained by reference to a refrigerator box, it will be understood that the invention is ward the back Wall M.

erated flat plate-like units at the top and bottom 1 spaces. Where two or more units are used, the

between.

' It is therefore an important object of this in- In Figure 1 there is illustrated an arrangement in which a single L-shaped evaporator unit I5 is positioned in the refrigerator box In in an upper corner thereof to define a quick-freeze chamber,

' indicated generally by the reference numeral l6.

gerant fiow therevention to provide a standardized type of evapo- .rator unit formed of a plurality of stamped sheets to provide the refrigerant flow passages, headers or the like, the resulting sheet-like unit being then bent into L-shape and providedwith at,- taching flanges, whereby the unit, or a plurality of such units, can ,bereadily positioned within a refrigerator box or the like to provide suitable quick-freeze chambers, frozen food compartments or compartments for other purposes.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure-lie a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of a refrigerator box illustrating the manner of positioning and attaching an L-shaped evaporator unit of my invention; I r

Figure 2 is a similar, fragmentary, vertical seci2 extend into the side wall I 2 of the box. A ver- Said evaporator unit I5 is provided with a vertical leg I! having a flange l8 extending along its upper edge that is attachedto the upper wall ll by an attaching means I9; The horizontal leg 20 of said evaporator unit is' provided with an upturned flange 2| through which attaching means tically extending plate 23 is also supported from the attaching means 22 and serves to support one 7 side 'of a horizontal shelf .24. The other side of the shelf 24 maybe brazed or otherwise secured, as at 25, to the v unit l5. The purpose of theshelf 2 to support ice trays (not shown).

4 is, of course,

In Figure 2, a pair of evaporator units l5 are I illustrated as positioned in a refrigerator box It to provide a pair of quick-freeze compartments [6 and Mia. Each of the evaporator units I5 is of identical construction. The L-shape of the evaporator units l5 lends itself to cooperation with the walls of the refrigerator box to define therewith quick-freeze chambers, and by placing the two evaporator units in'back-to-back ertical leg l of the evaporator relationship, as illustrated in Figure 2, a space 26'is left between said evaporator units for any desiredpurpose, such as for use as. a food and a bottle compartment. In Figure 2, a wire shelf 21 extends horizontally beneath the evaporator unit It to form a support for food placed in the space 26. i

In Figure 3, further provision for refrigerating the space 26 is shown. A flat, plate-like refrigerator unit 28 is attached by means of upturned flanges to the L-shaped evaporator units I6. adjacent the bends therein. The platelike evaporator unit 26 thus serves as a bottom wall for the space 26. In addition, a second plate-like evaporator unit 30 is positioned adjacent the top wall II and supported at its ends joining together a pair of co-extensive sheets of metal stamped to provide transversely extending 1 headers 33 and 34 and connecting refrigerant flow passages 36. ,The header 34 may be a compound header comprising an inner header portion 36 and an outer header portion 31 parallel thereto and in flow communication therewith around one end, as at 38. A further com'munication between the header portions 36 and 31 may be provided intermediate-their lengths, as at 39. The outer header portion 31 extends to an edge of the sheet to afford a connection 40 for the refrigerant piping.

The ends o'f the plate-like evaporator unit 32 are flat,'th e headers 33 and 34 lying well inside the end edges of the plate. Apertures' 4| are provided inthe flat marginal portions for receiving.

attaching means such as the means I! previously described.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the flat marginal portions are turned up to provide end flanges 42 and 43. Either before or after the bending of the flange portions 42 and, the plate 32 is bentinto L*-shape, as by forming a smooth bend 44. Nipples 45 and 46 are, suitably attached tothe outlets of the manifolds stand 33. The* evaporator .unit I5 is then in its finished condition ready for installation in any of the ners illustrated in'Figures 1 to 3, inclusive.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the refrigerant en- -ters the evaporator unit 15 through the nipple 46 into the header 33, from which it passesthrough the passages 35 to the compound header 34. The purpose of dividing the compound header is to eliminate the liability of liquid refrigerant passing out through the nipple 45, or, in

other words,'to insure complete evaporation of the liquid refrigerant within the evaporator unit I6.

inlet piping 48, from which extend branch piping 49 and vSlLto'the two evaporator units IS. A The compound headers 34 of said evaporator units "are connected by piping 5|, from which a pipe 62 ,leads to the condenser-compressor unit (not shown).

In Figure 2, the refrigerant system includes I refrigerating system is illustrated. .In this arrange'ment, an inlet-pipe 64 is connected directly to the plate-like evaporator 28. The outlet of said plate-like unit 28 is connected by means of a pipe 65 to the inlet side of the other plate-like unit 30. After flowing through the unit 36, the refrigerant passes out througha pipe 66 and through branch piping 51 and. 63 to the shelftype units 3|. Short pipes 68 and 60' connect said shelf units 3| to the L-shaped units II. The headers 34 of said'unit is are connected by means of a pipe 62 and a return pipe 63 to the condenser-compressor unit.

Various other refrigerant circuits could be em ployed than those here illustrated. The important thing is'that my standardized L-shaped evaporator unit lends itself to readyv adaptation in formingeither one or'a plurality of 'quick-.

freezing compartments, frozen foodchambers or the like. These different arrangements can be easily fabricated from L-shaped evaporator units, with or without the use of plate or shelf type units. As a result, the number of different styles of evaporator units and of sizes in each style can be greatly reduced.

It will, of course, be understood that various 4 details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this' invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims. I

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a refrigerator box, an evap- ,orator unit of L-shape and having. integral aper- 3. In combination, a refrigeratorhaving top and sidewalls, a plurality 6f. L-shaped, sheetlike evaporator units, each unit having flanges for attachment to said walls, and means attaching said units through said flanges to said top and. sidewalls.

4. In combination, a refrigerator having top and sidewalls, a plurality 'ofIL-shaped, sheet-like evaporator units, each unit having flanges for attachment to said walls, and means attaching said units through said flanges tosaid top and sidewalls, each unit defining with the wall portions spanned thereby a quick-freeze chamber. I I

wall to define therewith a quick-freeze chamber and a refrigerated plate joined to the backs of said L-shaped units to define therewith and with the top wall a frozen food compartment.

7.'-In,combination a refrigerator having and sidewalls, a pair of evaporator units in refrigerant flow communication with each other, each of said units being L-shaped and being connected at its ends to a top and a sidewall to define therewith a quick-freeze chamber and a refrigerated plate joined to the backs of said L-shaped units to define therewith and with the top wall a frozen food compartment, said plate having refrigerant flow passages in flow communication with said pair of evaporator units.

8. In combination, a refrigerator box having a top and sidewalls, a pair of L-shaped evaporator units secured to said walls in spaced back-toback relation to each other and defining with said walls quick-freeze compartments.

9. In combination, a refrigerator box having a top and sidewalls, a pair of L-shaped evapora 10. In combination, a refrigerator box having a top and sidewalls, a pair of L-shaped evaporator units secured to said walls in spaced backto-back relation to each other and defining with said walls quick-freeze compartments, a refrigerant inlet pipe branched for connection with the lower ends of said units and a refrigerant outlet pipe branched for connection with the upper ends of said units.

11. In combination, a refrigerator having a top and sidewalls, a pair of sheet-like evaporator units, each L-shaped in end view and connected to the top and a sidewall to define therewith a quick-freeze chamber and to leave a space between said units, a pair of horizontally disposed plate-like evaporator units positioned at the top and bottom of said. space between said first units, and refrigerant flow conduits connecting all of said units.

ARD C. JOHNSON. 

